Dreaming Through the Noise
by CyanideMuffins7
Summary: "Fight for what fights for you." A misanthropic Erudite-turned Dauntless-never expected a life can change so quickly. Even after befriending a few colorful characters and making a mark in her new faction, she still remains the same introvert when she first arrived...(full synopsis inside). SYOC, please read inside for more information if interested.
1. Disturb

**Dreaming through the Noise**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the book Divergent or the series. The original story, canon characters and lore was created by Veronica Roth. I only take credit for the original characters I have created.**

**Summary: **"Fight for what fights for you." A misanthropic Erudite-turned Dauntless-never expected a life can change so quickly. Even after befriending a few colorful characters and making a mark in her new faction, she still remains the same introvert when she first arrived. But when things begin to go out of order and fall apart, what will this girl do when her quiet world, turns chaotic?

_**A/N:** Hey everyone. I've been a fan of Divergent for a while now and of course I've had a whole story idea after reading it, but I never bothered posting it since I had other things on my plate. I have two other current stories I'm still working on. But due to some laptop issues I am getting solved, I cannot update those stories until I have everything fully recovered. Thanks to a pencil and my old algebra notebook from freshmen year, I decided to get this story going. I've tweaked, added and scrapped a lot since then. I had up to like five chapters in that bad boy so I'm already ahead of schedule but updates will still be slow since I don't have a lot of time at my disposal._

_Another item on the matter, in the future I may run out of characters ideas (which is shocking) so if you feel inclined to do that SYOC thing, then do so! I'll be sure to give more information on this closer to when I have gone insane and need more characters._

_Enough of this long and boring author's note. Here is my story and I hope you will end up reading more as I update. Please review, favorite or follow. _

_DTN takes place two years prior to Tris's initiation._

* * *

The world is in turmoil, and every single being on this desolate world knows it. But yet they continue squirming around in this busy city. In this city, everything is constantly moving whether it is the people, thoughts, or the weather, nothing ever stops. If you were to get an eagle eye view of the city, you can even see the people moving. They were like ants without order. But if you look closely, you can notice something absolutely still.

That would be me. I stand within the central square of this city, something so still in this ever moving world.

My feet are glued to the ecru stone of my faction while passersby ignore me, continuing their mortal lives. My ears can hear the many clacks of people's shoes stepping on the ground, the multiple conversations around me, and the sound of a few distant birds chirping. I slowly close, inhale deeply and open my eyes. The people are gone, wiped from the city. The sounds of the busy Erudite are gone as well. All that is here is the wind that blows through the gaps in between the buildings. I scan around for the emptiness.

This is how life should be.

I snap back into my reality as a Candor shoves me to the side. I catch myself before I can fall. The Candor just keeps walking, and I just glare at him.

I hate people. I hate mankind.

I continue walking back home. I had taken an early morning trip to the library to return a few of my borrowed books. I've spent almost my entire life buried in books to quench my thirst of solitude. But today, may be different.

Because, today is the day where I will know what faction I'm in.

Ever since I was little, I was always a misanthrope. No matter how many people are kind to me. My hatred has brought me nowhere socially. I have no friends, what so ever. There is one girl who constantly annoys me like crazy. She considers me _her_ friend, but I don't consider her my friend. It's a funny how things like that work.

I approach my tall, light blue house and waltz right through the door. I enter the entryway with a heavy sigh, seeing my reflection across the room. As an Erudite, I'm a very a logical and wise person. But some other Erudites are stupid and arrogant and think that dressing up in blue all the time is better for my brain. But I have to do it anyway, regardless of how idiotic I think it is. I'm wearing a loose blue sweater with a tee shirt underneath, but I never take off my sweater. My plum colored hair is tied up in a high ponytail with the ends of my hair reaching my shoulder blades. I adjust my glasses as needed in the mirror. They were a little crooked. I blink and see my rust colored eyes glint in the lamp light. I'm nothing special. I'm just plain.

Just as I straighten my glasses, my brother Ulysses approaches behind me and wraps his arm around my neck as he looks into the mirror.

"God I'm so handsome." He observed as he began to play with his hair.

Ulysses is my twin brother. We were born about ten minutes apart, him being the first born out of the two of us. So he's only ten minutes older than me, but we treat each other equally. On the surface, we look very much alike. We have the same colored hair, colored eyes, height and have practically the same facial features. But you can actually tell that we are different genders from some features like Ulysses's body is well-built while I have wide child-bearing hips. But under the surface he's more vain and social, unlike me who would rather not have a mirror in front of her face.

I don't think my brother would last as Abnegation.

I just sigh heavily in response to my brother's own vanity. He chuckles and flaps around my ponytail like it's our cat's tail.

"Hey, cheer up Connie." He manages with a smile.

I look at my brother through the reflection in the mirror, because that' the only way he can look at me while still looking at himself. His perfect white teeth glimmered in the light. He doesn't want me to be down.

My mother enters the room with her hearty voice, "Today is the Aptitude Test you two!"

Ulysses and I look very different from our mother. She's really beautiful, even at her middle age. She has long, wavy chocolate brown hair with eyes almost indescribable. Whenever I see her sparkling eyes, the colors remind me of sunflowers. My younger brother, Kaiser looks more like my mother in our family. My older sister, Margaret looks like a combination of both our father and mother. She has dad's rust colored eyes and mom's chocolate colored hair along with her beauty. Ulysses and I look like we budded off our Dad when we were born. I think the only thing we inherited from Mom's genes was her wavy hair.

Our mother has our bags for school in each hand. She hands us our bags like it's our first day of school. I take mine and put my arm through each strap, "We know mom, we've seen the calendar a dozen…and one times." Ulysses replies as he keeps his eyes on the mirror as he slings his pack over his shoulder.

Mom gives Ulysses a sharp flick on the forehead, "You will not give me sass in this house young man." She scolded. Whenever she scolded it was meant in a rather humorous way. That was mom.

Ulysses scowls at Mom and hides behind me like an abused puppy. I look over to Ulysses than back to Mom with a neutral expression.

"Stay still sweetie." She says as she takes off my glasses. My vision becomes blurry and I can see her prepare, what I assume is a miniature cylinder spray bottle from her skirt pocket. She squirted the lens, whipped out her white handkerchief and wipes the lenses clean.

After a few seconds, she gingerly places my glasses on the bridge of my nose. The lenses were crystal clear now, not a smudge on them. My mother treats us all like we're just little children, regardless of how much we have grown up. I guess this was a way of her saying to do well on the test.

I've taken tests practically all my life, but it's not just any test. It's a test to determine what faction I will be a part of for the rest of my life. I've been raised as an Erudite, but I feel like I'm not. That is what worries me.

I manage a smile for her even if my lips felt like they were being pulled down by fishhooks. Her slim fingers part my bangs and she gives me a warm kiss on the forehead. She does the same for Ulysses which made his cheeks brighten up and his lips curl. I then hook my arm around Ulysses's neck and drag him out of the entryway, to spare us the emotional and yet embarrassing moment.

* * *

I hear the sound of my shoes clack on the gray linoleum tiles of the first level of the school. Many students walk pass me, Amity, Candor, Dauntless, Abnegation and Erudite, all alike.

Ulysses has more friends than I do. He's always more of a people person than I am. At first we were both shut out from the world, but I guess he became more social when we started school. He has already walked off with his other Erudite friends while I continue to walk down the hall to Advanced History, alone. Kaiser usually goes to school early in the morning to work at the library building, and then I meet him there whenever I can. Since we have the same lunch, I typically eat with him in the library since its quiet and hardly any other factions beside Erudite enter. Kaiser isn't my friend, he's family. I can't help to see a piece of my flesh and blood alone. Margaret said it was cute seeing me, the older and protective sister, take poor innocent Kaiser under my wing.

The day's schedule has been cut short so we can participate in all of our classes then after lunch is the Aptitude Test.

It's almost like a regular day and with my usual routine. Except today, I feel uneasy.

Ever since Margaret became officially Erudite, my parents talk about her all the time. It's like they had put her on a tall pedestal while Ulysses, Kaiser and I are being forced to emulate her greatness. It's a lot of pressure to deal with sometimes. Everyone loves my parents and everyone loves perfect Margaret, now people have the sudden expectation that Ulysses, Kaiser and I will follow their paths. Our parents have the utmost confidence that Ulysses and I will become Erudite. I don't want to let them down.

Just as I turn the corner, three Dauntless students around my age were huddled around someone. I knew who that someone was already.

"You should come up on the roof with us sometime…" One said with a bright pink Mohawk.

"It's easier to jump off of there." Another said who was wearing a black beater.

I charge up to the Dauntless, "Excuse me. Leave him alone." I say civilly.

The three turn around, and just from a glance I can see my little brother sitting down on the linoleum floors with his knees to his chest and his face burrowed into his arms.

The one in the black beater turns to me and smirks, "What are you going to do, four eyes? Get a teacher? Debate with me?"

"I said, get away from him." I say sharply as I glare at the Dauntless boy.

The three of them look at each other, and the boy looks back at me. We have a glaring match, and I know he can sense the violent vibe I'm giving off.

He shrugs and signals for his lackeys to follow, "We'll see you tomorrow." He smiles to Kaiser. I can hear one of them speak, "Seb, Why did you let that Nose push you around!?"

"I don't hit girls." The boy in the black beater, Seb responded.

Kaiser still remained in his huddled position by the wall, even after they left. We were alone in the hall, "Good riddance." I mumble under my breath.

I turn to Kaiser and kneel in front of him. I reassuringly stroke his chocolate brown hair, "Are you ok, Kai?" I ask soothingly.

He lifts his head from his arms but his eyes are still focused on his knees. He gives me a soft nod.

"I tried to jump." He mutters as his hands tighten.

Kaiser has always been odd, ever since I can remember. He's always in a melancholy and constantly broods. Just like me, he has no friends but everyone seemed to have become a bully for him. Bullies like those Dauntless take advantage of his mental health to get him to do crazy things to see if he's willing to kill himself. Ever since he came to school, I've been acting as his guardian to make sure he's alright.

"You shouldn't do that Kai. I told you not to go on the roof." I whisper with a frown.

"But I like it up there and…I actually _wanted_ to jump. I just wanted to see if I could land."

This may be a seed of Dauntless growing inside of him. I retain from saying anything about it, and pull away from the hug. I stand up and hold my hand out for him to get up. He slowly stands up while using me as a support. As he stands he almost towers over me, but not by much.

He scratches his arm, continuing to avoid his gaze from me, "Today is the Aptitude Test." He says to break the ice. I nod, he's worried and I can tell. He has a few years until he has to take the test, but he's worried for Ulysses and me.

"Don't worry about me. I'll do fine." I reassure him with a small smile.

He finally looks up to me with his golden eyes. He knows my smiles are always fake, "You say, 'I'm doing' fine when you're taking a math test. But you don't get a score on this."

I don't respond. It's the truth, and I know it.

I pat his shoulder, "I'm intelligent Kai, so I'm going to stay in Erudite weather you like it or not." I say reassuringly.

After my hand slips from his shoulder, we split to English and Advanced History.

My hands remain under the cafeteria table, where all sixteen year olds are gathered for the test. I wanted to sit alone, but I had to sit where the Erudite were. I just remained quiet and didn't join them in their debates. I sat next to Ulysses and our neighbor, Amelia.

Amelia is the girl who pesters me all the time. She runs her mouth more than her legs during physical education. I don't even know what she's talking about half the time. Even now, she's still talking. I would imagine her to be silent. But I noticed she's avoiding the subject of the test.

I tune Amelia out and scan the whole room. Amity seems to be sitting in a circle and singing a slow song. Candor seems to also be in a lively debate, but they seemed to be having a political debate of sorts. My eyes then move to the Dauntless table where I see the boy in the black beater glaring at me already. What's his problem? He might not like the idea of a girl meddling in his business, then showing him up. I decide to ignore him and look back to the table in front of me.

Ulysses and I are called into the next group. I stand on cue like I'm a robot. The ten chosen form in two lines to separate from the boys and the girls. We are then lead through the exit of the cafeteria by the Candor woman.

I feel my stomach rising and the uncontrollable feeling to vomit. I just keep breathing and clutch onto the end of my sweater. I look over to Ulysses who was looking at me with the same panicked expression. Both of us were nervous. I extend my hand out to him the exact same time he does and hold onto each other's hands the rest of the way.

"I hate this twin empathy thing. You're making me nervous." He whispered.

I manage a small smile, just for him. He tries to respond with another, but he couldn't.

Mirrors are the only bridge between the room and us. I refrain myself from looking into the mirror, I just keep my eyes on the back of the head of the Amity girl in front of me. We let go of each other's hands as Ulysses is escorted into room eight and I into room nine. A Candor woman wearing a black blazer, white collared shirt and black pencil skirt was waiting for me beside a chair. Her blonde hair was cut up to her neck; it was short but not long.

Her eyes pried away from the screen before her and she extends her hand out to me, "Hello, you must be Constance Bishop. I'm Nadia Cradle, your instructor throughout the test."

I begrudgingly shake her hand and take a seat on the chair. I calm down by taking a few breathes. I know that I can do this, but what am I doing this for? What do I gain from being an Erudite? I get a job as a politician or a scientist? But what do I gain from being in any of the other factions?

I wasn't nervous anymore; if anything I was confused in this infinite conundrum. Nadia clicked a few buttons on the keyboard, "Have confidence in yourself and you will be surprised of the results." She comments as she observes the screen while prepping.

My eyes avoid the woman's face, "How does the test work?" I ask out of curiosity. Nadia's smile is not reassuring as she attaches electrodes to my forehead then to hers, "Well you see I attach this thing to your head and mine then connect the two with wires." She explains as she attaches the wire to me to her, to the computer by her. There were so many wires so it was difficult to count.

She then hands me a vial of clear liquid. I've been told that this is the simulation serum and this was the way I would be tested. I've studied the effects of the liquid. It's going to take me to a dream state, yet I'm not really asleep. But my books never prepared me for what this serum will do to me.

"Drink this. It tastes bitter so hold your nose." Candor honesty was so irksome. I take the vial and quenched the contents. She was right, it was bitter so I held back the need to vomit it back up. I took it, and once the contents hit my stomach my eyes closed automatically.

* * *

Everything changes once I arrive in my simulation. I'm in the school's cafeteria, but the mirrors from the room still remained except I couldn't see anything through them. It was almost a familiar environment. I turn and face the table before me. On top was a tall, shapely vase with a motley of flowers in its display. Around the curves of the vase was a nice, velvet red bow as if it was a gift to someone. Beside the vase was a pair of sharp scissors.

As I stand to look at these objects, a woman's voice fills the ambiance of the room, "Choose" she said.

Since this is a simulation, there would be events I won't expect. These items are here for a reason. The scissors would be the easiest choice to make so I could defend myself but then the vase could be of use to me if I need it as a gift.

The woman spoke again, "Choose!" she yells, being impatient of my lack of decisions.

I'm not quite sure what I would be using these for. The woman's voice sounded restless and I became agitated. I turned my body around the opposite way with my arms crossed.

"Very well." She spoke. The baskets were gone and a rather large animal with perked ears stares back at me. My eyes adjusted to the lighting and the animal became a dog, a rather intimidating one at that. A low growl emitted from its clenched canines as it slowly began to creep towards me.

The items would have been useless in this situation. The knife would be very difficult to wield since the dog could easily dodge my swings with the blade. The cheese would only buy me a few moments longer to think of a plan to get rid of it. My eyes look at the environment around me. The tables couldn't provide me a durable shield from the dog; it could go around if it was smart enough.

Opaque liquid ooze from the dogs teeth and dripped on the floor after each step. As long as I don't show fear, the dog won't attack me. I decided to scowl at the beast and bare my teeth in reflection to it and crept to it as well. Soon I became toe to toe with the dog and I stared back at it, looking down on the creature. It was just a dog. I know that I have authority of the beast. It is no fear and it is no real beast.

The dog's growl faded and he placed his paws onto my legs with a pleading face, perhaps of mercy. It then began to pant and wag its tail in a fan like motion. It became such a different creature so fast. I kneel down and scratch behind its ears affectionately.

The second I blink, a little girl appears behind the dog. Her face looked rounded yet she had very pleasant features. Her lips widen, "Puppy!" She says ecstatically as she runs to the dog.

In an instant, the dog turns from me and returns to the beast. Its bark resonates throughout the hall and its slobber dribbled everywhere. I could see the muscles in the dog's legs become taut and its pupils dilate. The girl brought her arms close to her body, but her feet were glued to the ground in fear. A part of me felt compelled to let the dog attack the scared girl, but the creature was easily susceptible to assuming danger was everything its eyes and nose can detect. This time, I felt like my feet were glued to the ground. Once I forced my feet out of its frozen state, my legs began to stretch far intervals to get to the dog but through an unfortunate occurrence, my ankle twisted and I fell.

The dog slowly crept to the girl with its menacing teeth and its hunched back. I yell at the girl to move, but her full attention was on the dog. I needed to stop it if I wanted to save the girl.

My eyes scanned my perimeter and I spotted a large pot on my left. My hand quickly grabbed onto the handle, used my free hand to push myself off the ground and chucked the pot straight at the dog's head. The dog made a painful whine before it disappeared along with the girl.

Suddenly I'm back in the training room except the mirrors were gone as well as the computer and Nadia. I head to the door to the hallway to find myself in the Erudite courtyard by the large fountain. I kneel down and inspect the blue liquid flow down the drain and back from the first spire of the fountain. A boy around Kaiser's age approaches me. His Erudite garb appears soaked like he just came out of the rain while his glasses were certainly worse for wear. One of the lenses was gone and the other was cracked beyond repair. This boy looked miserable. His hand extends out to me, "I don't have enough money for the bus. Would you kindly give me some? I swear I'll pay you back."

I was in his position a few times and what did I do? I walked home. It shouldn't be a big deal to this boy. Why should he deserve my pity if I never even received a glance walking down these streets? But then again, I never really had the courage to ask anyone if they could spare some change for the bus. I feel compelled to give him the money anyway. I dig my hand through my skirt pockets but I'm only able to find a barely enough to get a bus. I take all the money I had and dropped it into the boy's palm.

He counts the money and looks up at me, "Is that all you have?" He asks curiously.

I nod. He smiles, "Well thank you anyway. I'll pay you back."

I shake my head, "It's not necessary." I say.

The boy runs away with a smile across his face. Suddenly I feel a hard tap on my shoulder and I turn. A man in dark clothes with a menacing look speaks to me, "Someone stole from me. I saw him come this way. Do you know the thief?"

He must be talking about that boy I gave money to. I tried remembering his face, but a part of me knew this person as a friend yet I have no recollection of him. I am definitely unsure and this man looks as if an indecisive answer won't solve his problem of missed merchandise. I look up to the man, into his big eyes, "I can't say I do." I say before turning back to the fountain.

The man grabs my shoulder and roughly turns me back to him who was a few inches from my face, "He's a criminal! He's done more crimes. He's a murderer and a thief! Do you know him?!" He repeats aggressively.

I'm still unsure about the situation. If I don't tell this man, I will see punishment imminent. If I do tell, then I feel like I've betrayed someone. I can't stay silent or else I will experience option one and two.

I then pry the man's strong grip from my shoulder and I stare this man with a cold glare of anger, "I don't know and it's none of my business. Now leave me be."

The man then leaned in closer, "If you don't tell me, then you maybe next." The sharp end of a knife pricked my chin and neck. It was clear this man was working for this murderer. I think the scissors would have been more useful in this situation than the dog. I then pinch the man's under arms and kicked him in the gut. The knife fell to the ground while he was clutching his stomach. I grab the man's head and bashed it against my knee cap and he fell beside the fountain, groaning in pain.

"You're a murderer, we're all murderers. Send us all to prison, I don't care." I yell radically at my assailant. He then attempts to get up, "But you can save _everyone_ if you tell me."

"This world can _die_!"


	2. Mementos

**Dreaming Through the Noise**

**Chapter 2: Mementos**

**********Disclaimer: I do not own the book Divergent or the series. The original story, canon characters and lore was created by Veronica Roth. I only take credit for the original characters I have created.**

* * *

My eyes shoot open and I awaken to my heart beating at an accelerating rate and my body over the average temperature. I find myself clenching the arm rests of the chair and I let go. My hands feel stiff and tense so I quickly tuck them underneath my legs as I sit up.

I turn to Nadia who was removing the electrodes from my forehead and her own. I want her to say something, anything really. I could tell she wanted to say something just by the way she sucked in her lips. The silence was slowly eating away at me like moths to clothes as I remain seated just looking at her for a response.

Her dark green eyes remain on the screen before her, "Hm." She purrs as she keeps her eyes on the computer.

I furrow my brow, hoping she would add onto her audible noise. She then speaks again, "You are a very interesting person, you know that Miss Bishop?" She comments as her eyes would dart to me every few words she spoke.

A short harsh breath escapes my nose like I'm an ill-tempered bull. She's from Candor, she's supposed to be honest to me, "I don't know how these tests work. Are you supposed to tell me my results?"

She sighs and slicks back her hair with her small hands, "That's the problem. From what I observed, your results are inconclusive."

Inconclusive? That can't be right. Collected data should be analyzed, estimated if need be, and not become inconclusive. Is there something wrong with the machine? Does this mean I have to undergo the same scenario again? Nadia must have observed my expression and she continues, "Well, having inconclusive results is a, how shall I say, it's a common yet uncommon occurrence."

"Then I'm nothing?" I ask confused.

Nadia crinkles her lips to her cheek and tilts her head to her shoulder, "No. Even in an event like that, I would still be able to have a conclusive answer."

She rotates her chair towards me, "You see each stage you experience is supposed to rule out a faction or two, but there weren't many that were eliminated."

My face becomes taut, "What?"

"You're refusal of choosing the vase or the scissors show no real result. Choosing the vase filled with flowers would have confirmed your aptitude for Amity and the scissors would have confirmed your aptitude for Dauntless. Both would have led you to two different scenarios. But you chose neither. Then you had a very interesting reaction to the dog. Instead of using the environment around you, you decided to become the point of authority and turning your fear into power, which shows inclinations to Dauntless …"

I gulp. This isn't how I thought things would go. I never would have expected to be aligned with almost all of the factions.

"However what you did when the girl showed up was what…intrigued me. When you chose to protect the girl, you…conjured an object to hit the dog."

I always thought the pot was there. She claims I created it in a controlled scenario. How was that possible?

She sighs, "That action, from what I deduced, is an Abnegation response for defending the girl but also a Dauntless response for choosing violence to stop the dog. When you were confronted by the poor boy for money you altruistically gave the money you had in your pocket, even if it wasn't enough. Abnegation. Then later when the man came who said the truth could save many, you didn't lie but you weren't telling the truth either. In turn shows your crafty cunning from Erudite. But your first statement to the man indicates a lie, which shows no candidacy for Candor. Obviously your choice for beating the man is a Dauntless response."

My mind was to racing until a throbbing pain began to emanate from my brain. The lights were only worsening my condition. I rub my temples and lean forward, hoping it would go away, everything.

"This leaves you with Abnegation, Dauntless and Erudite. People who receive multiple results are…" She looks around the room and back to me, "Divergent." She coughs into her fist.

Divergent was a word I heard before a few years ago when I was passing the halls of the schools and a couple of Candor kids were talking about it. It's the word they branded on people who had multiple virtues for a faction. Now I'm one of them. I've been branded with the word Divergent on my forehead like cattle.

The Candor woman clasps her hands together and rests them on her lap, "I've never seen the abilities of a Divergent before. The way you were able to control the scenario was truly astounding."

I don't need her admiration, damn Candor. "Well what do I do? I have to choose?" I say as I keep my eyes on the shine on my shoes.

"Yes, but you must not tell anyone about this. You know you cannot share your results but you cannot, I repeat _cannot_ tell anyone you're Divergent. Being one is dangerous, extremely. It could get you in more trouble than you bargain for."

I slowly rise from the chair and begin to rush out of the room. Before I could open the door, I feel Nadia's boney fingers over my shoulder, "You have a lot to contemplate about. Like I said, you will be interested in what you may get."

My brother and I didn't speak on the walk home. I can see in his eyes that he hasn't changed, but I don't know why he's being this way. Usually he's commenting on a teacher's stupidity or how he found a gray hair the other day. But he was silent. Perhaps he knew I had much on my mind. After all, we do seem to share the same pain.

Ulysses gently nudges my arm, "So the test went pretty well, thank you for asking." He chuckles as he places his hands on the back of his neck, "I have no doubt I'll become an Erudite and get that job as a History Professor."

I nod just so he would probably get off topic of the test, but he looks at me with a cocked eyebrow, "Are you alright Connie? I think all that time with Kaiser is making you blue. You seem to be brooding more than usual. How was your test?"

We pass a few garbage cans until I realize what he has said. I shrug my shoulders, "You know me. I tend to brood consistently." I say.

Ulysses sighs and places his arm around my shoulder, "Sis, you didn't answer my question." His voice sounds more serious this time.

What should I say? I could be Abnegation, Erudite or Dauntless? I just have to choose? I'm also what is called a Divergent and it's really dangerous to be one? Anything I say could jeopardize my position in my faction and my life. This is hurting my head just thinking about it. As I look at the filthy ground ahead of us, I began to wonder if what is going through my head is going through Ulysses's head. What if he was Divergent too and asking me about how my test went was his way of breaking the taboo silence between us so we can share and discuss our dilemma together? But how could Ulysses be Divergent? Even if we're twins and have practically the same genetic code, we're two different people. He can survive in a crowd, I can't. He's too chicken for Dauntless, too deceiving for Candor, too skeptical for Amity, Too vain for Abnegation and too perfect for Erudite. I want to tell Ulysses just for the slight chance we could make our decision together. I feel like we're drifting.

"The test was rather strange, but I must say that it was rather capricious." I respond as I adjust my glasses. Ulysses tilts his head back and groans, "You're using big words again and not answering my question!" He states irritably.

He gives up, and I stay silent the remainder of the way until we arrive home. Ulysses leads me inside and his first action upon entering our home is to look in the mirror to check his hair. I head straight upstairs and to my bedroom. I close my door behind me, toss my bag to the side of the room and hurl myself on my bed. I lazily kick off my shoes and turned to face the ceiling. I don't care if my bag and shoes ruin the sanctity of my clean, pristine room.

I couldn't bring myself to turn on the radio to listen to a new Candor debate or pick up one of the many books I have read over and over again. Divergent was the only thing I could think about. Maybe this is what most girls feel like about the guys they like.

I turn my body to its side. I gently take off my glasses and place them on my night table and sigh with relief now that I was on my nice plush bed. Everything in my room became a blurred, perverted version of what I saw it through my lens. I slide my arms underneath my white pillow as I nuzzled my face in its soft, comfortable embrace. I take a deep breath, smelling the fresh scent of laundry.

I let my eyes close for a moment, or at least what I thought was a moment. When I open my eyes again, the sky was dark and the only light in my room was the old nightlight of a moon I had when I was a kid installed into the wall outlet. I didn't want to get up from my nice warm space, getting up meant I needed to make a decision. My stomach felt empty and tight. It groans loudly as its plea to me to feed it. I begrudgingly sit up, feeling groggy and hungry.

My stomach controls my legs as I mindlessly walk out of my room and to the kitchen. I head downstairs while rubbing my eyes. I stop half way down the stairs when I notice everything was blurry. I forgot my glasses, but my stomach growled again in a hushed manner. Food over sight, got it stomach.

I continue down the stairs. As I descend, I could hear my mother's ecstatic voice, my father's correct answers, Ulysses's witty comments, Kaiser's silence and Margaret's laughs mixed with her occasional snort from the den downstairs. Once I reach the last step, my head turns to the den where I see my family engaging in the nightly trivia game. From what it looks like I slept through dinner. Every night after dinner we would retire to the den where we would play a game of trivia. Margaret doesn't join most of our games anymore since she's living in a condo on the other side of the faction. But she shows up occasionally when work or politics isn't on her plate.

I decide not to draw attention to myself and slip into the dining room which led to the kitchen. I adjust the light so it was on its lowest dimming setting so I wouldn't be blinded by the light. Everything is a blurred outline in my eyes.

I could see what I assume is a bowl of what looked like orange soup. Approaching the bowl and getting a whiff of the liquid reminded my brain that it was tomato soup. I take the bowl and a spoon then I sit at the small table in the kitchen. I look down at my bowl and began to consume my cold soup.

The ripples in the orange liquid reminded me of staring at the fountain water in the simulation where that crazed man confronted me. I need to decide now. I can't spend my life deciding on the Choosing Ceremony either. Perhaps I should rule out Abnegation. I don't find myself doing all the charity work and selfless gestures towards others. I hate people. Then that leaves Dauntless and Erudite.

I was raised as an Erudite all my life, but I can see the feeling of uncertainty I had today was proven correct. If I stay in Erudite, what would I do? Become a cardiovascular surgeon like my father or a pharmacist like my mother or a teacher like Ulysses wants to be or a librarian like Margaret? I always wanted to have a job that didn't require me to socialize with people, but Erudite does not offer such phantasmagoric vocations. I don't want to be anything. Being intelligent does not have anything to do with my passions.

Why can't I just not chose and become Factionless? What would my life be like then, or what would my family think?

"You're finally awake sleepy head."

I keep my eyes on my bowl as my dad pulls a chair beside me. It's hard not to notice the man since he stands like a tower over half the population in Erudite. Whenever my dad sits down at dinner, his knees hit the table. His physical appearance contradicts itself. He's taller and muscular than most Erudite yet his eyes suggest he has much wisdom to give.

I groan in response and he chuckles, "How was the test?" He asks as he rests his arms on his knees.

I scoop some soup with my spoon and stare at it, "I heard Madge met Jeanine Matthews." I say to quickly change the subject. I shove the spoon in my mouth and I look over to my father, whose eyes are stabbing into my soul. I'm so transparent to my family.

He adjusts his seating position to face me, "This is not about your sister. Connie, I can see what you're doing. Just answer my question." I don't do a good job hiding things, do I?

"The test was…" I begin with my eyes on the bowl. What am I going to say? I can't direct the question away anymore. Dad would find a way to get back on track. He pats my back, "I know that the test can be a bit…intense. You had to make decisions that just were-" my dad pauses, looking down at the table then back to me, "But all things happen for a reason, right? I'm sure you're going to make us proud."

Oh great, this must be Dad's way of telling me that he's going to be "happy" with whatever choice I make. I find it more of a guilt trip than anything.

I place the spoon in the bowl, "It was pretty intense." I repeat.

Dad smiles while showing off his straight white teeth, "I have something for you." He says while digging his hand through his coat pocket. He hands me a small case. It isn't wrapped like a present, but I could see they were contacts. I graciously accept them, "Your mother and I were going to wait until after the Choosing Ceremony to give you and Ulysses these but the test was harsh enough and you two need to show off those pretty eyes of yours."

I manage a smile, "I have the same eyes as you Dad." He chuckles in response. The way he smiles reminds of how Ulysses smiles.

"Well you should get some rest, Sunshine. The Choosing Ceremony is tomorrow. But if you're up for a round of trivia tonight, then feel free to join in. Your mother is starting the lighting round, your favorite."

"I think I'll join for _one_ round."

Dad smiles, stands up and kisses me on the forehead before we adjourn back to the den.

I stuff the case in my skirt pocket as I approach beside the couch. Dad sits on his dark purple ornate chair while I take a seat beside the armrest. Mom greets me, so does Margaret, Ulysses and Kaiser. All six of us were gathered in front of the screen displaying questions. I ended up playing more than one round. By ten o' clock, Margaret and I were neck and neck, then Ulysses, Mom, Dad, and Kaiser. The lightning round began, and Margaret was ahead of me by fifty points. The final question would be given extra time for its difficulty.

"Final question: What is the significance of these numbers: 2, 10, 18, 36, 54, 86?"

All of us gather our scratch paper and began doing the math. "They're all evens!" Mom shouts, but the screen flashed red. After a few calculations, Dad and Kaiser were out followed by Mom. Ulysses was still crunching in numbers, trying out every single possibility. Margaret was vigorously scratching her paper with her pencil, trying out different formulas and patterns.

None of my numbers were making sense. I look back up to the screen. We have only thirty seconds left. I study the numbers again, one after the other. Suddenly, the numbers became familiar.

I put my pencil down and speak my answer clearly, "It's the atomic number of the Noble gases."

The voice on the screen spoke, "Correct. Player number 6 earns 100."

The round was complete and our scores showed up on the screen. I won. Ulysses leans to Mom, "Let me ask again, can we do teams next time!?"

Dad shakes his head, "You always end up letting Connie do the work." He states as he crosses his legs while leaning back in his chair.

Mom nods, "It's true."

Margaret ran her fingers through her long chocolate brown hair on the opposite side of her part. She was always frustrated when she couldn't get difficult questions. She turns to me, "I'll win next time." She assures jokingly with her bright smile.

I can't help but giggle, "It's on, Madge."

My hand slowly rests in my skirt pockets as Mom and Dad begin to discuss Margaret's meeting with the famous Janine Matthews. My fingers found the smooth texture of my gift and I clutch the case within my palm. I have always contemplated on getting contacts since wearing glasses constantly was a pain as it was but it was something my parents didn't see as a fine purchase. Now it seems like they do.

Why must my parents do this to me? Give me mementos of my life here so that I would remember them, or feel guilty forever if I leave? This trivia maybe my last time I will spend with my family. I can't let anything be a "maybe" anymore. Everyone who took the aptitude tests are not the only ones worried today and tomorrow, it's the parents as well. The Choosing Ceremony isn't just a day for pomp and celebration, but also for mourning. They could lose their children in a blink of an eye. It takes just one drop of blood to destroy your parents.

If anything, this kills my parents more than it kills me.


	3. Vertigo

**Dreaming through the Noise**

**Chapter 3: Vertigo**

**************Disclaimer: I do not own the book Divergent or the series. The original story, canon characters and lore was created by Veronica Roth. I only take credit for the original characters I have created.**

* * *

Discomfort follows as my family and I are packed together with a few people from Amity and Candor in one elevator. One can feel the touch of another's shoulder being side by side. I am in between Margaret and Ulysses but a Candor man in front of me and an Amity woman behind me. I am in immediate uneasiness. Once we reach the twentieth story, I am relieved to finally breathe again. Ulysses follows behind me and turns to make sure our parents are nearby us before we would get onto the stage.

We came to a Choosing Ceremony before when Margaret was taking hers. She showed no indication she was nervous or even deep in thought. I remember she approached the Erudite bowl with confidence and swiped her palm to draw her blood. We cheered and she smiled. But I know I will not have such confidence and poise when I'm choosing.

My father gives us a tight hug before we could go. He approaches me first then Ulysses. Mother approaches me but before she hugs be, she cups her hands beside my head and stares into my eyes. She is smiling, I'm not. "Come on Connie, smile."

My lips do not even twitch. I keep looking into her aged eyes, "How can I?"

She tucks stray hairs behind my ears and hugs me, "Because everything goes the way it's supposed to. You just need to look ahead."

I feel like I'm strangling her but after she pulls away, I know that she will fade from me. Ulysses teases Kaiser with a handshake but then gives him a hug. I then approach Kaiser and hold onto him tightly. This maybe the last time I may seem him, or anyone else for that matter. Kaiser didn't want to let me go. Before he could get emotional, I release and managed to slip out of his grasp.

Ulysses and I walk down the aisle until I was joined by Amelia who almost pounces on me, "Hey there Connie! Cannnnie!" She says showing off the gap in between her two front teeth like she was a rabbit. I cringe and brushed her aside, "Don't call me that." I respond.

I am in no mood to be pestered at this moment. Amelia giggles, "Calm down, I was only kidding." She keeps her grip on my shoulder as she leans past me and closer to Ulysses, "Hey Ulysses." She drawls while batting eyelashes.

Ulysses manages a half smile before he looks away. Ulysses hates her too, only because Amelia thinks he's cute and charming while he thinks she looks a deformed raccoon. His words, not mine.

Amelia rolls her eyes and returns her attention back to me, "I can't wait until we get to choose. I can feel my stomach fluttering! We can take our initiation together."

God, the last thing I want to do is be with this girl any longer than I have to.

Ulysses and I hastily join the others and arrange ourselves in alphabetical order. Ulysses is to my right and an Abnegation girl named Marlow Caste is to my left. She occasionally glances over her shoulder to look at me. She knows that I being an Erudite immediately have bad blood with her. I don't feel it instantly until her eyes dart to me every few seconds and becomes annoying.

Marcus walks on stage and begins his opening speech. I tune out his words since I've heard them before. I direct my attention to my right. Ulysses and I will be one of the first few to choose being that are last names is at the beginning of the alphabet. My eyes then met the fiery glare of vengeance and hatred by the boy wearing a dark sweater. He was that same boy who I confronted yesterday and who was staring at me. He was in front of the line.

I return my gaze back into the crowd to avoid looking at him. I find Mom, Dad, Margaret and Kaiser sitting somewhere in the second row of the Erudite crowd next to Amelia's family.

"Sebastian Ayre."

The boy filled with hatred for me, Sebastian, approaches beside Marcus, accepts the knife and swipes his palm. Without any thought to his decision, his hand hovers over the sizzling coal. The Dauntless crowd cheers with excitement, whistling and stomping their feet. It takes a second for them to finally settle down and let the rest of the ceremony continue.

The next girl goes and I decide not to watch anymore. My anxiety clenches my stomach and shakes my legs. It's hard to stand in the bright light in front of hundreds of people, waiting to make my decision. No amount of class presentations prepared me for this.

What feels like seconds turns to minutes as I watch Ulysses approach the stage beside Marcus. He hands my brother the knife. Ulysses observes the blade and turns to the bowls. In one quick movement he slices the surface of his palm, cringing in the process. He closes his hand into a fist so he wouldn't have to look at the sickening glint of the red goo oozing from his hand. What would Ulysses pick?

Ulysses opens his hand over the bowl, letting the drops of his blood blend in the water. I look into the audience, seeing nods of approval and few applause-mainly from our parents who were elated by his choice.

"Constance Bishop"

The space underneath my clothes grows hot and my heart pounds in my chest like a hammer to a nail. I manage to pick up my legs and approach Marcus, with a straight posture and my same neutral expression. I accept the knife he hands to me. I turn to face the bowls with the knife over the palm of my hand. I make one last look to my family. My Parents are leaning in their chairs, holding each other's hands while Margaret bites her nails and Kaiser looks at me with his sadistic eyes. I turn my head to the new Erudite initiates. Ulysses is smiling. I can see them all clear as day with the contacts, my mementos that my parents gave me. Now their images are imprinted in my eyes.

I turn back to the bowls and press the blade into my skin, making a quick swipe. Little droplets of my blood began to blend into the carpet along with the other blood stains from previous initiates. I slowly place my arm out to the bowl in front of me and watched as I let the rest of my blood sizzle on the hot coal.

The crowd of blue began to shift around to whisper to each other, while others shook their heads in disapproval. Mom and Dad weren't looking at me anymore.

I quickly make my way to the Dauntless-born initiates, who were staring at me as well like I was a sheep trying to hide among a pack of wolves. As the ceremony went on, more people like me betrayed their faction to move to another. Many others stood in front of me, the kind of people I used to see walk together in the halls at school. I was never able to see Ulysses's reaction.

I feel a heavy weight in my body, pulling me down in a large body of water. I can imagine a large boat being carried by the waves. The last thing I see as I descend is my brother, waving goodbye.


	4. Fall

**Dreaming through the Noise**

**Chapter 4: Fall**

**************Disclaimer: I do not own the book Divergent or the series. The original story, canon characters and lore was created by Veronica Roth. I only take credit for the original characters I have created.**

* * *

These stairs are steeper than I thought. After a while, I begin to skip steps just to catch up with the other Dauntless Initiates. One of the Amity girls accidently trips in front of me and has a hard impact against the wall. She didn't get up, and I keep going.

Once we arrive on the first floor, the Dauntless in front kick down the Exit and sprint outside, still cheering. When I finally reach the exit, the cool air stings the hair in my nose and the quantity I was inhaling feels like I am chugging water down my throat. I slowly begin to jog behind some of the other initiates that ran ahead of me as we cross the street. Once all of the Dauntless-born stop we do as well. I stop behind another Erudite boy who was panting a little compared to me who was practically gasping for air.

Suddenly a loud train horn rang in the distance. One of the Dauntless girls shouted, "Here it comes!"

The train horn sounds again, closer this time. In one second, the train comes by us and half of the Dauntless were inside in an instant. I loosen the collar around my neck to release all the hot air before I would have to start running again. I then feel hands on my shoulders, "It's boarding time. Can't get cold feet now, Nose." A voice whispers in my ear. I quickly whip my body around to see Sebastian smirking before he dashed off and hopped onto one of the cars. I could almost feel the water in my body boil, watching him.

My anger forces my legs to finally move again, even if it feels like each step I take is like stepping on glass with my bare feet. But I need to prove to the Dauntless that I am fully capable of fitting in with them. I follow some of the others beside the Train. Unfortunately we were closer to the back. If we didn't make it in time, then we might not make the train.

I begin to take longer strides, to increase my speed. Suddenly, a gray blur followed by a rush of air flew right past me. As I look ahead, the gray figure was an Abnegation boy determined not to get left behind. It almost looked like he was faster than the train. Once he was close to the car, he hurls himself inside.

If that Stiff can make it, then I definitely can. I see a few others pass me and make it onto the train. I pack more energy into my legs, sprinting until I finally make it to one of the cars. It was difficult to keep up with the train and my dwindling stamina. I've never ran like this before in my life. In physical education, everyone does the same amount of exercise, even the Dauntless. I can see why hardly any of them ever showed up to class if what we were doing were just stretches compared to this.

A Candor girl shoves me aside as leverage to get into the car. I stumble back but One Amity girl sitting by the door grabbed onto my arms before I could fall behind and manages to pull me in.

I lay almost breathless on the floor on all fours, each of my limbs shaking. The Amity girl strokes my back soothingly. At that point I drag myself to the wall inside the car, towards the back. It would have been Erudite of me to politely thank the girl and move on with grace and elegance. But I didn't, because I'm not really Erudite anymore. I didn't want to thank the girl, period.

She looks at me for a moment before she stands up, walks towards my area and takes a sit beside me. Through my peripherals, the girl crosses her legs over each other and places her hands in the gap of her long skirt. She didn't speak and neither did I. We just sat next to each other, hearing the loud harsh air cycle into and out of the car. I avoid looking out the open door and keep my gaze to the ground.

Time passes as the light in the car begins to grow darker. The sun is still out but it's almost done for the day. The orange light flashed every so often when the train hid behind some buildings. I finally raise my head and lean back closer to the wall. My neck was aching from its straining position. I crack it before I rest my head behind me. There were a few initiates in here, all faction-transfers. Three were Abnegation, five were Candor, three Erudite counting myself and the Amity girl sitting beside me. As I look at the third Erudite sitting in between some Candor, I recognize her to be Amelia. She glances to me occasionally and our eyes meet. But she turns away. Good.

After our long period of silence, she turns her head to me, "What's your name?" She asked, with her voice soft even if she was trying to speak over the loud sound of the train. I look over to her. She has very pale skin, wide light blue eyes like the color of forget-me-nots, small shaped lips and long curly flaxen hair. She was dressed in a loose, long-sleeved shirt with a skirt that reaches to her calves. Her clothes were of the typical colors that clearly indicate that she was from Amity, just like my blue clothes indicate I was from Erudite. The only blemish she had on her skin was a burn mark on her left jaw. I couldn't help but stare at it but I quickly avert them back to her eyes. If Ulysses were here, he would be chatting this girl's ears off while I continue to stay out of conversation. But I have no desire to even move my tongue, even for a girl who pulled me into the car.

What if she wasn't there to catch me? I would have fallen on the tracks with my body too weak to even move. It would have been night before I would begin my cursed life as a Factionless. This girl saved me from failure.

I part my cracked lips to speak, "Constance." I say over the wind.

She brought out her arms, as if she was going to hug me but pulled her arms beside her and placed her hands on her skirt, "I'm Edelweiss." She introduced while cupping her hand over her heart.

I am not familiar with that gesture. I can't be sure if it's an Amity thing, but it's something I've never seen in books or in person before. She takes her hand off her heart and places it back with her other. I couldn't hold the question in, "What was that?" I croak due to my dry throat.

Edelweiss stares at me before speaking, "It's something my Mom taught me when I was little. It used to be the universal gesture before the factions were established. I don't know the real meaning of it, but it's my way of greeting someone." She explained.

"I want to go home!"

Our conversation was interrupted by an Abnegation girl standing by the door, shouting the same thing over and over again. A Candor girl was watching her from across the car, about to stand up like she knew what the other girl was doing. The Abnegation Girl shifts her foot on the ledge, "I…I…" She stutters, gripping tightly onto the edge of the doorway with her head downwards. Everyone in the car either had their attention to the ground or to her. One Abnegation boy in the corner was watching her completely befuddled while the other Erudite sat by the door with his head hung in between his shoulders, annoyed.

In a blink of an eye, the Erudite boy runs his fingers through his dark hair, hops up from his seat and shoves her out of the car. Everyone was in shock, staring at the boy. The Candor girl slowly stood up, sliding her hand against the wall behind her until she was straight. The wind blew her dark hair around her head like vultures to their pray.

"What was that about!?" She blurts to the Erudite boy.

Edelweiss leans closer to me, "Why don't you say something to him." She suggests beside my shoulder. I shake my head, "I don't know him."

The boy didn't look familiar to me. The Erudite compound was a big place and I never really knew any names besides my family's. Even at school I couldn't place names with faces. It was like each day I wiped my memory clean of anyone I ever saw or met. This boy had a certain look in his eyes that made his transfer into Dauntless, almost seamless.

The Erudite boy's nostrils flare as he moves away from the door, "She was going to jump anyways." He argues.

"That doesn't justify what you did! You sent her to her death!"

The Erudite boy's gaze lower, his brows furrow and his lips tighten. He takes a step while his hand follows against the wall. There was a deadly glint in his eyes, looking at the Candor Girl. Her body pushes closer to the wall. An Abnegation boy with dark hair slowly ascends on his feet, in protest with the Candor Girl.

"I can send you too." The Erudite boy barks aggressively.

The Candor Girl and the Erudite boy were having a staring match at each other for a while until she slides down the wall and back onto the ground. The Erudite boy looks over to the bold Abnegation boy but plops down in his seat and turns his head to the door. The other boy sits back down, with his eyes to the ground.

The rest of the ride to the Dauntless compound was silent. No one spoke, and no one looked at each other in the eyes. Once the train started to slow down, all the passengers stood up and formed a line. Edelweiss is in front of me and a tall Abnegation boy was behind me. The Erudite boy was the first to jump off the car. As my turn grew closer, our landing zone became clearer. The train was several stories up from the roof people were landing on. Once it was my turn, I take in a deep breath, hop off and rolled onto the roof.

My body is turned downwards and I slowly rise onto my aching legs. I look down at my knees, seeing the edges of my stockings were ripped while my skin was scrapped and bloodied. I let out a sigh of relief, thankful for survival.

I pat down my skirt and sweater of all the dirt from my landing before I join the rest of the initiates at the end of the roof. Each step I take stings my joints. I just hope these scraps aren't too deep. As I stand behind the crowd, I am able to spot Edelweiss in the crowd of contrasting colors to her bright hair. I stop myself from moving any further to her. I shouldn't be making a friend, that's not me.

"Hey, eyes up here!" says a tall husky man standing in front of the crowd. He looks almost elderly, with wrinkles on his forehead, bags underneath his eyes and his rough olive tone skin with short, steel colored hair. The man looked like he could crush a melon in his hands.

The man crosses his arms over his large chest, "I'm Dirk, the senior leader of this faction!" He spoke. Dirk's voice naturally carried across large distances, so shouting wasn't necessary.

"Hey Nose. I see you made it in one piece." Sebastian says as he tugs on my ponytail.

I turn to him, trying to pry his strong grip from my hair but he has his hand wrapped around my hair pretty tightly. He only chuckles at my weak attempt to stop him, "Just because you made it this far doesn't mean jack." He tugs harder.

The moment I chose Dauntless, he knew that this was his time for revenge for standing up to him in the halls yesterday. This would only be the beginning to the endless days of torture until I'm dead. The sinister joy in his mint green eyes tell me he was going to have the time of his life picking on me. If I don't fight, I'll end up becoming a victim. That girl back on the train was willing to give up, and all for a decision she thought she chose wrong. None of my family would want to see me as a victim to cruelty.

I push him away from me and he lets go of my hair. My teeth are clenched grinding against its surface just by looking at his cocky, smug face. I turn back to the crowd, hearing one of the girls by me comment about the roof. Dirk was still talking and my eyes look past him, to the edge.

I walk away from Sebastian and into the crowd. I push people aside gently at first, but once I begin to move faster, my gently pushes turn to harsh shoves until I make it to the end of the roof where my mind clears of any doubts, and wandering thoughts and I jump off. I hear Dirk yelling something, but the constant rush of the wind in my ears diluted other sounds. I fall fast down a dark hole in the concrete. The sunlight from the above is my only source of light as I transcend through the darkness. I close my eyes, letting the laws of gravity bring me down. The air feels like it was pushing all the bad things through the other end of my body, and into the air behind me. It was almost like I was in my bed again.

When I open my eyes, gravity has brought me down. I find myself lying in a large net with my arms and legs close to my body. The net was being held by other people on each corner, all of them looking at me. I slowly sit up on the unstable net and look back at them. A guy with a large Mohawk and a girl with sky blue hair raised their hands in their air shouting, "Yoooohhhhh!" up to the crowd on the roof.

The guy in the large Mohawk reaches his hand out to me. He has dark skin, raven colored hair and dark green eyes. He looks young but probably older than eighteen. He has piercings on his ears, two studded ones on his left eyebrow and one silver ring on his bottom lip. Even when he's looking at me, he had this presence that isn't menacing.

He helps me out and smiles, "Yo!" He greeted with his hand up to me. I don't know what gesture this is either. I just stand there staring at his hand. He waits for me to finish the action. Then he slides his hand through the smooth part of his head while he whistles, "Don't worry kid, you'll know what I mean." He reassures before he turns back to the net.

Will I?


	5. Lay of the Land

**Dreaming Through the Noise**

**Chapter 5: Lay of the Land**

******************Disclaimer: I do not own the book Divergent or the series. The original story, canon characters and lore was created by Veronica Roth. I only take credit for the original characters I have created.**

* * *

After everyone finally makes it to the ground, each of us gather in a line being led by two of the people holding the nets, the Mohawk guy and the blue-haired woman. The Erudite boy was in front of me. He's tall enough to block my vision of what was going on in front, that's for sure. By my approximation he must be six feet compared to me, five feet and five inches. We were closer to the back, so I can't hear what they are saying.

Our line comes to a halt and all the Dauntless-born went to the left and gathered into one line in front of the Mohawk guy while our line compressed in front of the blue-haired woman. He speaks, "So I'm Slicer. I'll be training the Dauntless-born initiates." All of the Dauntless cheer, clap and whistle. Slicer tilts his head to his blue-haired companion. "And I'm Lovely." She smiles.

Our side remains silent while the other side has a few claps and cat whistles. One of the Dauntless-born in the front asks, "Why is your name, Lovely?"

"What do you think, pants wetter?" She retorts while she picks out whatever was in her ear.

Slicer chuckles as he hops onto the ladder behind him with one arm on the bar and the other on his heart, "Ah, the apple of my eye. You are more gorgeous today sweetest."

I lean over to the side to get a good look at Lovely and Slicer. Her dark brow furrows inward while her lips turn downward. She picks up a stray rock on the floor and throws it Slicer. He quickly ducks and swings upward with his arm out while laughing. He turns to the Dauntless, "I'm assuming none of you need a tour of the place." He says to his group. All of them laugh and in a line follow Slicer up the ladder.

"Until next time my flower!" He shouts before he fully ascends the ladder before Lovely could throw another rock at him.

These people are a circus.

* * *

"So this is where you're gonna stay for the next few weeks with your beloved chums. Love it and like it, 'kay?" The blue-haired Dauntless says as she stands in the doorway of our new living quarters. After everyone had landed the groups separated with the enthusiastic Mohawk boy leading the Dauntless-born initiates and Lovely giving us a tour of the Dauntless compound. From what the Erudite talk about the Dauntless, the compound was really what I imagined it to be, dimly lit, grungy and loud. Each place we stopped, I took note of where we were to prevent myself from getting lost in the future. But this place isn't that big compared to the Erudite compound where every building is strategically placed in conjunction with the other building next to it. Everyday walking through its streets was like I was in a labyrinth.

The dorms are simple. Cracked walls, florescent lights down the ceiling with one flickering every few minutes and ten beds placed against the walls. The Candor girl with dark hair asks, "There are ten beds here and eleven of us."

"We thought more of you wouldn't make it this far, to be honest. Guess your group is lucky." She comments while she scratches the inside of her nose.

I can see why they call her, Lovely.

A girl from Abnegation says, "But that means one of us has to sleep on the floor." She sheepishly points out.

Lovely places her hands on her hips, "We're sending an extra bed from the initiate's dorm. You'll have it by tomorrow." She informs, "But do whatever you guys need to do with that, fight over it for all I care just don't leave a bloody mess."

From what I have gathered from Dauntless behavior, none of them seem to care what you do. Their behavior, especially Lovely's was lewd and aggressive. In Erudite everything is about manners. Everyone critiques you on how you act around people. People like Dauntless assume we look down on them because we think we're intelligent and that we don't bothering trifling with them because we are civilized people. Most of those stereotypical facts appear to be true. But so far none of these Dauntless—beside Sebastian—has antagonized me for my past faction. Perhaps the only difference between Sebastian and these fully integrated Dauntless is that he's immature.

"What are we doing tomorrow?" I ask.

Lovely turns to me and smiles. Where I am standing in the group, I am able to get closer look at her. Lovely has fair skin, sky blue hair with short bangs closer to her hairline and chocolate brown eyes. Over her small lips was a small beauty mark that blended well into her skin. She's pretty, prettier than me. Like Slicer she has piercings, two black studs on the side of her nose and one black ring on her lip.

"Well tomorrow you're gonna eat breakfast at seven, and training starts in the gym at eight, lunch is like half way into there and ends at six. Pretty much after training you can do whatever you want and between each initiation stages. And that's your everyday routine until your weeks are up."

Tomorrow could be exciting if I let it be. I mean, I could end up enjoying training and my recreational time. But the only problem is what can I do after training? Everyday when I came home it was homework for an hour, listen to Candor debates or if no good ones were on I would listen to Abnegation speeches while studying a book from my bookshelf or from the library. I don't think I there's a radio around here for me to listen to or books I can read.

Lovely turns to face the crowd of fresh and scared faces, "Listen up kiddies, 'cause this next piece of info is important." She says, "You're group is training separately from the Dauntless-born initiates since it doesn't seem fair 'cause they're better than you and I'd like to think we're boosting self-esteem if you're training separately. That way, you don't compare yourselves to them. But that doesn't mean jack to _us_. Your rankings will be placed in combination with the Dauntless born. So as you can imagine, you guys got some hefty competition."

"What do you mean by rankings?" The other Erudite boy asks. I look at the corner of my eyes towards him. If they are rankings he wants to get to the top, doesn't he?

"Damn, you guys ask a lot of questions." Lovely mumbles as she ran her fingers through her long blue hair. She sighs, "The rankings are your value to the faction. Only the top ten are actually made into members. The rest of you get to live in a dumpster for the rest of your life, faction-less…"

A few gasp in shock. A Candor girl who was next to me was wide eyed, holding back her years. Lovely observed the groups faces, "…or dead. You know, anything can happen." She adds casually.

The girl next to me breaks into tears, sobbing. Everyone stares at her, even Lovely. But her eyes aren't sympathetic. She probably sees people like this every year to the point of not caring anymore. She looks back to the center of the group, "Whatever rank you are by the end of initiation, will help you choose what jobs you want. Yeah, more choices. Look forward to that." She continues over the sound of the girl's sobs.

Lovely stretches her arms over her head, cringing her face before her pale arms fall behind her head, "Remember kiddos, that bed will be your best friend for the next few weeks. Get some rest while you can. You guys have a long day tomorrow." She says.

I can assure my bed will be my best friend, especially after running and sprinting a few hours ago. The group begins to disperse, even Lovely turned away from us about to leave the room when one abnegation boy spoke, "So do we look for you in the gym tomorrow for training?"

I decide to turn to see what she will say. She stands with her back turned to us for a few seconds until we hear laughter. The hairs on the back of my neck began to rise. Lovely turns her head to us, "Oh, I'm not your trainer so I won't be there tomorrow. But I'll show up whenever. I'm kind of like an assistant if you want to think of it that way."

"Then who's our trainer?" Asks the Erudite boy

Lovely turns her head back around, "Your worst nightmare."

* * *

The bed is so foreign then I want it to be as well as the new Dauntless clothes I'm wearing. I was grateful that for once I won't have to wear anything solidly blue the rest of my life. The fibers hug my skin like it wants me to accept it but I can't help but feel like I'm wearing what's not mine. Neither this bed nor my clothes feel like it belongs to me. It feels like I've stepped into someone else's shoes.

I hear the same girl crying from earlier all the way across the room, still going at it. I turn my body over so I was facing the other bunks. She has the covers over her as if not seeing her would hide the fact she was still crying. Idiot.

It would not have been the end of the world if I didn't have a bed tonight but I was lucky enough to get one. For us it was first come, first serve. One of the Abnegation boys let the crying girl take the bed he had. Now he was leaning against the wall with his gray clothes folded on his lap and his eyes to the ground. Even after betraying his family and past faction, he still remains to be so selfless.

My hands clutch onto my pillow. I want to get up to give my pillow to him. It's the so called Abnegation side in me, wanting to help the boy out when he was left with nothing. But I why must I choose to help him? The only reason I saved the girl from the dog was because I knew if I didn't I would regret it. And I gave that thief the change in my pocket because I thought if I did, he would leave me alone. None of it was out of pity. As I watch him shiver, I knew I would be doing it out of pity.

Among the insufferable sobbing, I hear faint footsteps from the right of my bed. I smother half of my face into my pillow to pretend I'm sleeping, but it was pointless since it was only Edelweiss. She passes my bed with her blanket over her shoulders, leaving a sweet scent of vanilla. When she reaches the Abnegation boy, he looks up at her and she places the blanket on his lap. Before he could even say anything, she quietly walks back to her bed.

I turn my back to the rest of the bunks, away from everyone. It's difficult to tell myself I don't miss home. Unlike that girl across the room, I can't shed a single tear for home. Not only does it show a sign of weakness, I can't bring myself to do it. Even though I was the first to jump, I couldn't give my blanket or my pillow to the boy and I can't cry for what I lost.

To me the lines between strength and weakness are blurred.


	6. (SYOC Application)

2/**3** spots left

I realized that I may need characters at the point I'm writing so I created I will start a **SYOC**. Make sure to fill in each section appropriately and with as much effort you can. I understand that this skeleton is long and what your writing is long, but the more details I have the better I can interpret the OC as closely as I can. It may take a while so if you defiantly want a spot message me to reserve a spot for you and I will, because I just the heart to make you happy.

Also including with filling this out, you are required to write me sample. The writing portion could be anything as long as their personality and thoughts are defined. This will give me an idea of how your character will act and a chance for you to express your character. The sample can be as long as you want. I don't mind reading too much.

Now there are a limited number of spots available. I will only be accepting **THREE** spots (they have to be Candor, sorry) and one **WILL** be kicked out later on (spoilers ;p). If someone is willing to be a sweet heart and make this conniving character then I will be grateful.

PM me the filled out skeleton with the writing sample and I will put them into my story. This will be deleted after all the positions have been filled.

Happy hunting.

* * *

***Basics**

Name: first, last

Nickname: (Can be a shortened version of real name or a completely new name or just a nickname)

Gender:

Birthday: month/day

Personality: (I would like a complete description, but if your brain cannot put the correct words together you may just use adjectives or whatever)

***Appearance** (If you have a visual to their likeness or fanart of your OC, then please put it here and you won't have to enter the extra appearance info)

Ethnicity:

Skin:

Hair: (Include type, color and style. Also what he or she changed it—if they did—upon entering into Dauntless)

Eye color:

Body Type: (Basic description of the OC's body)

Height:

Blemishes: (Scars, beauty marks/moles, freckles, tattoos [and If so what does it look like], etc…)

Clothes: (With in mind that this is Dauntless, what does this OC wear usually? Do they wear dresses, skirts, ripped jeans, simple…?)

***Background**

Aptitude Results: (Dauntless, or other factions or Divergent, it may not matter in the end)

Family: (The OC cannot be related to any Canon or current OC)

Past: (This is yours to go crazy on I guess. It could be freakishly long but I'd prefer it be a reasonable length. Now keep in mind that this story takes place TWO years before Tris and that the current characters may know your OC but may not have interacted with.)

Other: (Anything else interesting about this OC?)

***Initiation**

Strengths: (What area your OC is proficient in like speaking, jumping, shooting, etc)

Weaknesses: (What area your OC sucks in, there has to be at LEAST one thing your character sucks at)

Fears: (Has to be more than five)

Thoughts: (A brief thought on each character, including canon)

***Other**

(Anything extra that you think needs to be said like friends, theme song, sound of their voice, then please put it here)


	7. Hell

**Dreaming Though the Noise**

**Chapter 6: Hell**

**********************Disclaimer: I do not own the book Divergent or the series. The original story, canon characters and lore was created by Veronica Roth. I only take credit for the original characters I have created.**

* * *

The gym was spacious. Half of it was filled with the Faction-Transfers, all mixed with eagerness and stifling anxiety. I stand near the middle of the room, at a distance from the others to avoid any confrontation. But as I look towards them, there is a sense of awkwardness about us that seems out of place. We are definitely quiet, too shy to speak to each other. Maybe this is why we seem like a joke to the Dauntless. I'm just thankful there aren't any one-way mirrors lined on the walls.

Edelweiss hasn't spoken to me since this morning when she greeted me before breakfast. She didn't eat with me. She sat with the dark haired Candor Girl, the Abnegation boy who slept on the floor and another Abnegation boy. When I was watching them, it started with Edelweiss eating alone. I was going to sit with her but the Candor Girl came and I didn't want to meet more people than I wanted to, so I sat at an empty table. When I was eating, the first Abnegation boy sat with them and then afterwards the other was walking by when the Candor Girl invited him to eat with them. As I was watching, the Candor Girl appeared to be the one trying to start conversations but the rest would make awkward statements here and there.

My eyes turn from the walls to the group where I see Edelweiss with the Candor Girl again. Even in Dauntless clothes she didn't look that different. Everyone sort of looked like they were a wolf among sheep in their new images. Overtime we will come to fit in these clothes like any other natural born in this compound. But now, I feel different in my new garbs but I feel like visually, emotionally and mentally I have not changed.

Eventually the Dauntless-born initiates arrive in a single file line lead by Slicer. I watch as they march to the other side of the gym where they would be training for the day. As I recall, Lovely said we would be training separately from each other. Why are we sharing the same gym?

The others are already getting started on their lesson, which look like rope climbing. I try to keep my eyes ahead of me, but I can't help but watch them. Many of their initiates were fluid in their actions. They are practically sixteen years ahead of us. That might be me in a few weeks or I could be scavenging for food as Factionless.

Finally the gym doors open, a man steps out of the doorway and towards us. This man looks around my dad's age. His head is shaved, I guess since at his age he might be losing his hair. But whoever did shave his head left designs on the side of geometric lines to be artistic. He has angular features and a straight brow that make his expression almost rancorous.

The man approaches our group with his hands behind his back and his legs shoulder-width apart. We all gather together in front of him, waiting for him to give instructions. He stares at each and everyone of us, like he's study each individual and assuming who will make it and who won't.

"My name is Roy. And I will be your instructor."

All of us remain silent. Roy studies us again and takes his hand from behind his back which held a box. He walks to the end of the line, pulls out a hand gun and places it in each person's hand, "This lesson you'll be learning how to shoot a gun."

Roy places the gun in my palm. It's sort of heavy, like a book but not like a nine hundred page textbook. The surface of the firearm feels foreign in my hands. I observe the gun in different views while studying the mechanics. Roy passes by me again and I turn my attention back to him. He doesn't say anything.

He gestures his hand to a wall adjacent from us with targets. He drops the box by his feet and takes the last gun. He has a casual stance, but doesn't lock his knees as he raises his gun in front of him. He fires the gun and manages to hit in the center. He looks over to us without a word. Our group knows by his actions that it was our turn to try. I walk over to a free target. I'm still trying to get the feel of the gun in my hands before I shoot. I feel power in my hands, the power to destroy. It is a great force that I feel almost inferior to use.

I look to my left, the Abnegation boy with dark hair was still trying to aim. When he fired he was off the center. I look to my right where I see the dark haired Candor Girl, dealing with the recoil. I stop focusing on the people around me and keep my eyes on my target. I remember reading a book from the library about guns. In its history guns were believed to be an object condemned to only a pile of waste pre-factions but when the factions were established, the other factions saw Dauntless as their protection from whatever was passed the fences. Therefore guns had gained a new meaning of safety when the Dauntless picked up the powerful weapon.

The image of the book appears in my mind as if it was before me. I can remember each word and every smudge on the pages. One of the diagrams I remember is a picture of a man holding a gun. I follow Roy's stance, shoulder-width apart, and point the gun in front of me. The diagram showed the arms were not straight but slightly bent, I repeat the action. I line up my vision with the gun and I angle it correctly at the target. I take a deep breath in and exhale out before I shoot.

My muscles pull back and the bullet pierces through the target in the second circle.

"Hey that was a great shot." The Candor Girl compliments me with a smile.

My eyes travel to the girl but I reluctantly look back to the ground and back to my target. Before break, I was able to hit the center almost perfectly. I was the first in the group to hit the center. Some of the initiates were trying but couldn't find the right combination quickly.

Very few looked upon me with amazement; others saw me as a threat.

During lunch, I sit alone at the empty table near the back door. I face the wall with my back to everyone. As I eat, I occasionally look over my shoulder. No one even glances at me, not even the Dauntless-born initiates. My stomach is empty but I feel like the acids inside are churning around. I don't like this feeling. I think I've become homesick faster than I anticipated.

I hear a tray beside me. I turn my head to see Edelweiss sitting beside me. She doesn't smile but she's looking at me, waiting for me to say something. She doesn't wait any longer to speak, "I forgot to ask if you ever knew me at school."

I shake my head. Her lips lightly moved skyward, "Everyone has recognized me here as the crazy Amity girl from school. It's nice knowing you never heard about me."

I ignore the strange activity in my stomach and turn back to my tray, "Why are you sitting with me?" I ask changing the subject.

"You looked lonely."

I don't need sympathy from anyone. I like being alone and away from strangers. With Edelweiss here, she's going to attract unwanted company. I don't want to be smothered by anymore people than I want.

"I don't pity you or anything, if that's what you're thinking." Edelweiss adds as she picks at her food, "I understand if you want to be alone, but you seem like a nice person I don't see why you _want_ to be alone. You can call it curiosity." She explains.

I cannot find the proper words to respond. I keep my eyes on my tray and eat my lunch. Edelweiss does the same. I've had little interaction with people in general, but I never imagined myself sitting beside someone from Amity. I guess that's what makes transfers special. All of us have been raised differently, but we all chose the same faction to be in. And yet even if I am in the conglomerate of transfers, I am Divergent. As an Erudite transferring to Dauntless I am truly a wolf in sheep's clothing but being a Divergent in Dauntless truly makes me an outcast.

"Hey." Edelweiss mumbles as she gently shakes my wrist with her bony fingers. I raise my head from my food. I must have been in a daze for a while now. The dark haired Candor girl and the two Abnegation boys are sitting across from me. All of them were staring at me. The Candor girl giggles, "Wow you were really spaced out there. I was trying to talk to you for the longest time." She's pretty, with her long raven black hair, topaz colored eyes, olive toned skin and the freckles from one side of her cheek to the other. Most girls I see are pretty compared to me. I don't really try much anyway, it's not like I want to impress anyone anyway.

I feel my cheeks getting warm from embarrassment. It doesn't help knowing that they can seem my face getting red. The Candor girl continues, "Well, I was saying you were probably the best shot back at the gym. Roy watched you a few times, he must be impressed."

I guess I had a slight advantage of accessing a library or something. I only read about guns because I was trying to read something new. But she's making it sound like its quantum physics.

I respond with a shrug. "I'm Faith by the way." She introduces.

I still don't respond. The Abnegation boy to her right was looking at me. He had dark brown hair that draped over his forehead and chocolate brown eyes, "I know you're Constance. Do you remember me?"

My memory fails to recognize his face. Most people from Abnegation tend to look the same to me when they walk in the school. He has made no impression if I don't know him. He takes my silence as his answer, "It's Mikael. We had Faction History together. I saw you a few days ago."

I recall the layout of my classroom in perfect details. The classroom desks were neatly placed facing the front of the room where the whiteboard was and the teacher's desk. I sat towards the back next to the window mainly to just look outside and daydream. No matter how hard I try to remember the people, I can't. Their clothes are definitive but everything that made a person distinctive was gone. "I've never noticed you." I say shaking my head.

Mikael puts his fork down and places his hand over his chest, his face expresses deep hurt, "It's nice to know I made an impression on your life." He recites as he dramatically turns from me.

Edelweiss and Faith giggle. The other Abnegation stays silent; his focus is on his food. My expression remains in its neutral state as I return to my tray.

The initiates return to the gym after lunch. Roy instructs us to practice with the guns again so all of us gather back to our targets and begin shooting. Each time I shoot I manage to hit straight into the center. Others looked at my target with the giant hole while others were studying me. I can see through my peripherals some are starting to copy my techniques, sloppily. The Erudite Boy was not one of them. He was trying to hit the center on his own accord. I can't say I understand but then again why should I care?

Why are we still practicing shooting anyways? We should be moving on instead of continuing with guns. We or at least I get the point. As I grow bored and impatient, I lower the gun to my side and turn to the Dauntless-Born initiates who were now vigorously tackling each other down. Slicer is supervising and guiding the initiates through each move. Some looked so natural, others struggled. Perhaps they are trained on a higher level due to their experience. I turn back to my target. The Erudite in me wants to move on, and learn something new. But what I need to learn is to control the Erudite within me and suppress any thoughts I have wrapped around my knowledge. I don't need it right now.

"STOP WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND STAND AT ATTENTION!"

We turn from our targets to face Roy. His arms angled to his sides and his face stern as ever. I see people running to the box to return the guns before they stood in front of Roy. I do the same and find my place at the end of the line, next to Edelweiss. I straighten my back with my hands to me sides and keep my head facing forward. Roy's expression was undeterred from this morning, yet now it seemed to have worsened in degree. His intense eyes dig straight into everyone of us to discover what we have buried deep within us. He has found our weaknesses.

"You people are the worst pieces of crap I have seen. You disgust me, each and every _single_ one of you." Roy shouts while his voice carries across the gym. A chill runs down my spine as each of his words pierce through my ears. He is establishing his fear into us now.

Roy walks to the other side of the file. Out of curiosity everyone on my side turns their heads to see who would be his first victim. My nostrils flare at the sight of Amelia in her black garbs and her tied up hair. What in the name of all that was holy, was she doing here? Amelia was at the end of the alphabet during the Choosing Ceremony, so it was most likely I was not paying attention to who else would be joining this faction. I thought I was done with that girl.

She looks up at him with her lips trembling. Roy tilts his head, "What's your name?"

Amelia moves her lips but no sound emits from her throat. Her head moves downward, avoiding his eyes but this only angered him. Roy grabs onto her ponytail and pulls down, "When I address you, you are expected to answer! I thought Noses loved to flap their gums in the wind?"

Amelia cringes and tears already stream down her cheeks. Roy shoves her down, "Damn don't tell me I have to deal with a bunch of wimps." He comments as he looks down the line.

This doesn't look good. When Lovely said our instructor would be our worst nightmare, I can't say I believed her when I first saw Roy off the bat. But now, I can see what she meant. He is cruel. I do hate Amelia but the way Roy was acting is very intimidating. I look over to my left to the Dauntless born initiates, watching us. Slicer has his eyes on us as well by the wall. He ordered two of the initiates that were still tussling to join in watching us.

"What is your name!?" Roy has already passed four other initiates and stands in front of the dark haired Abnegation boy. He responds, "Tobias Eaton."

Roy's brow and nose crinkle forming many wrinkles while taking a step back, "Marcus Eaton's boy? I can tell from that pan crushed face you have there and that God awful name." I can see from the subtle twitches in his eyebrow and nostrils that it was taking a lot to hold himself back. I can see why.

"You're going to have to suffice with Stiff for now." He declares.

The Erudite boy smiles, but that only brought Roy's attention. Roy steps in front of him, "Why are you smiling, whoreson!? Think calling this Stiff a Stiff is the best damn thing you ever heard!?"

The Erudite boy's smile remains, "It suites him, that's all." He remarks.

"What's your name?"

The boy stands up straight, "Eric Fray." He introduces proudly. Erudites typically introduce themselves politely but also with an egotistically aura. Eric appears to have withheld that tradition.

In one quick motion Roy grabs Eric by his shoulders and their foreheads collide. It looked like Roy hit Eric pretty hard, I could have sworn I heard a distinct knock. Eric falls to the ground while his hand hovers over his forehead. Roy gives him a kick with his boot for good measure, "Sweet and short. I like it. The one thing good about you." I look over to Tobias, who kept his eyes forward but I can tell he enjoyed it as much as I did.

The rings on Roy's eyebrow move as he stands in front of Faith. He studies her from toe to head. Unlike Amelia, her body is stiff and unmoving. Her eyes were staring straight at the man front of her. She had the correct poise Roy was looking for but I can see that Faith was hiding away her fear. He then asks for her name. And she responds, "Faith Oswald."

Roy leans in closer to Faith, "You have to _earn_ that name." He says with his voice low and harsh. He backs away from her and stands before Mikael. She stays her ground but looks confused.

Mikael's posture is straight but I can tell by the way he was breathing, Roy's presence was disturbing him. Mikael was about the same height as Roy so they were eye to eye. Roy scowls, "Another Stiff? I thought one was enough to join and now I get another sissy in front of me. What's your name?"

"Mikael Raske."

Roy aggressively takes him by his shirt collar, "What's with Stiffs and naming their children such awful names!?" He shouts into Mikael's face.

The Abnegation boy gave a hesitant shrug, "I don't know what to tell you." He says.

The irritation on Roy's countenance is obvious as he deeply inhales before he lets go of Mikael while nodding his head. The boy sighs in relief but in a quick motion, Roy throws two punches straight towards Mikael but doesn't touch his face. By instinct, he flinches and pulls his arms back. Our instructor's fist is close enough to almost touch the skin on Mikael's face. There was true terror in the Abnegation boy's eyes.

Roy drops his arms to his side before speaking, "It's so awful, I can't even think of a name for you."

Roy is getting closer to the end of the line, where I am. After Edelweiss, it would be me. What tortures would he have store?

Edelweiss looks up from the ground to Roy, who was staring into her soul. She did the same. This entire time, Roy looked into the eyes of the initiates before speaking. He knows our weaknesses, but now he wants to see how frail we are while creating an intimidating composure. I remember this technique in an old book I read from Dad's study when I was nine. Dad had motley of books in his study, it's strange now that I think about it.

"Name." Roy finally demands.

"Edelweiss Gale."

Roy clenches his teeth out of irritation and what I assume is anger. She speaks, "It's a flower-" Roy cuts her off with his loud booming voice, "I KNOW WHAT AN EDELWEISS IS! I just didn't know what to say because you have such a terrible name."

Edelweiss doesn't flinch at the sound of his voice, she just stands there. There is nothing my perception can see that indicate any source of weakness in her. She is strong.

"Your name is Ed."

Edelweiss nods, graciously accepting her new name into her new faction. Many of the initiates received nicknames of some sort. Tobias was Stiff and Edelweiss was Ed while Faith, Eric and Mikael kept their names. It will be easier to address them at least. Perhaps that is why Roy renamed them for having "awful" names, so it would be easier to remember. My mind only races to what treatment he would be giving me. Would it be as hurtful as Ameila's, embarrassing as Eric's or easy like Faith's?

Finally the moment I have been dreading since he spoke to Amelia, has finally arrived. Roy slowly approaches me and halts directly in my line of sight. I keep my back straight and my head to him. I want to come off strong but not cocky like Eric was. Faith claimed that Roy was impressed with my aim and if it's true, perhaps he will not shout or come into physical contact with me. But I know I must expect the worst.

Roy leans down to get a closer look at my face. His eyes move around each possible feature I have. I try to act like I don't mind but it's difficult when I know everyone is watching me. If I want to survive in this faction, I'm going to have to throw out what others are doing and focus on myself. I need to prove to everyone that I have earned my place here. His eyes then narrow like he was reading small print. Roy rises back up with his nose in the air, "What is your name?" He asks.

"Constance Bishop." I reply.

He looks down at me in silence. I don't want to risk filling it with anything else. I know anything I could say could tip the scales either way. I look at him the same way he has been looking at the other initiates, establishing intimidation. The whole gym follows our silence. No one utters a word. It feels like the world want, quiet.

Suddenly Roy's face perverts into an expression of contempt as he inhales deeply. He then spits at my face, hitting my closed eye. It catches me off guard. I know showing weakness would not be the wisest move to make, so I don't wipe my face or show any different expression than the one I was giving him.

"You have the absolute," he begins slowly then eventually crescendos, "WORST NAME MY EARS HAVE EVER HEARD. YOU ARE BY FAR THE MOST WORTHLESS SWINE I HAVE EVER SEEN IN THIS SHIT-FILLED PEN! YOU'RE EVEN MORE WORTHLESS THAN TOILET PAPER. EVEN I WOULDN'T WIPE MY ASS WITH YOU!"

My stomach drops and a lump forms in my throat. Each word pierces into me and slowly creates wounds that I never anticipated. This is the truth that no one had the guts to say to my face. But I can see this is what their eyes shouted at me. I am invisible, no one knows me therefore I am worthless.

Sound had ceased in the gym, all was silent like the darkness of the night. Everyone must have been waiting for me to breakdown and cry, which would only worsen the situation. But I don't move, I don't say anything and I don't look at anyone. Roy exhales deeply and destroys the silence, "Your name from now on is Bishop." He says with his natural voice.

My open eye follows him as he walks back to the front of the file where others averted their eyes from me and to him. He speaks to us, "In this faction, we are bravery. Right now I'm seeing a bunch of pansies who think shooting a gun gives them power. Let me tell you all this now, I will have no respect for you. You will have to earn it. I don't give two damns of what you think of me. If you all truly want to become Dauntless, then get your acts together. Tomorrow we'll be learning how to fight hand to hand. Anyone does not want to be late."

I knew the decision I made was a bold choice, and now I have to live with it.


	8. (SYOC Announcment)

_This is anyone's last chance to submit one more character into the story. I am waiting for the characters to come in since I kind of need to write them into chapter 8. So I am accepting one more character before I close the SYOC. Submit them in please. The faster you bring it in, the quicker I can update the story._

_-CyanideMuffins 7_


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